Docfest review: ‘Sympathy For The Devil – The True Story Of The Process Church Of The Final Judgement’

Sympathy For The Devil: The True Story Of The Process Church Of The Final Judgement

I knew nothing about The Process Church before watching this doc from Neil Edwards. The Process Church was established by two former Scientologists, Robert DeGrimston (who looked a little like Jesus, handsome and charismatic) and Mary Ann MacLean (the “brains” behind the operation). They set up shop in the swinging London era of the late 60s, and posited that worshiping a quadrangle of Christ, Jehovah, Lucifer and Satan provided the necessary balance to gain enlightenment. They looked cool, dressed in dramatic black outfits and hobnobbed with the tony set in Mayfair. One of the exercises they engaged in was to ruthlessly “read” another person to their face, auditing the person’s physical appearance as ruthlessly as possible. By most accounts, it was brutal. The intention was to shake a person’s foundation, forcing them to confront their guarded selves and to get real (emphasis mine). They got noticed, and they got some followers. Brian Epstein and Marianne Faithful dabbled in the scene. The Church tried to get the Beatles and Mick Jagger interested in their deal, but that didn’t happen. One famous musician who DID get quite interested in their teachings and philosophies was George Clinton, the P-Funk maestro. (The liner notes to Maggot Brain are cribbed from The Process Church.) He appears in the movie a bit, and Funkadelic’s music is heard throughout. Another wanna-musician who CLAIMED to be affiliated was Charles Manson, but the church denied any connection to him. (Devil worshiping was a rep the church never really shook off, but they relished the controversy. Any press is good press.)

Director Edwards limns out the history of the Church and the personnel in ways that are revelatory — there’s a pretty big “a ha!” reveal toward the end that will keep you interested, although I was interested throughout. The Pop Art animated sequences that punctuate the movie’s chapters were frustrating, but I think that was the point: an authoritative blustery voice-over asks questions (like “What IS The process?”) and never provides answers. This is aping what the average upright and uninformed citizen was asking back in the Church’s heyday, when rumors of animal sacrifices and endless orgies were amok.There’s might be no easy answer to that question, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t frustrating to be likewise mocked, dangit.

Director Edwards allows former members to have their say in extensive interview sequences and this gives a balanced feel to project. It would be easy to merely lambaste the sect as a few charlatan fraudsters leading gullible dupes astray, but the former Church members and other interview subjects (including artist Genesis Breyer P-Orridge) won’t let you get away with that so easily. These interviews, along with historical footage and photos and a snappy graphic sense make the movie quite entertaining.